Vox GUSA election questionnaire: Daniel LaMagna-Markel Starks

Vox invited each ticket to respond to five questions about their campaigns to be the next leaders of the GUSA Executive. They will be posted without editing or comment. Below is the response of Daniel LaMagna and Markel Starks.

Why are you qualified to be the GUSA President and Vice President?

We have experience on both the least and most functional organizations at Georgetown. We’ll focus on achieving practical objectives that make a difference in the daily lives of students.

What are your top three goals that you hope to achieve as the GUSA Executives?

Working with the administration to begin developing a smartphone app using the Modo Labs platform, making sure the University overhauls the Facilities system by the beginning of the academic year, and improving transparency by monthly video updates that will keep students informed on what we are doing.

What do you believe GUSA’s role should be in interacting with the administration?

GUSA should advocate for students by cutting through the red tape, holding public meetings with members of the administration, and making sure the administration keeps its promises by formalizing them in writing.

How would you characterize President Meaney’s and Vice President Laverriere’s time in office? If elected what do you plan to do the same/differently?

Mike and Greg do well at guiding long-term reforms to fruition. While this is fine, we think GUSA should emphasize practical goals like overhauling facilities, increasing GUTS bus weekend hours, and keeping students informed through monthly video updates.

Do you believe that student groups are people? [inspired by Mitt Romney]

Why are you qualified to be the GUSA President and Vice President?
Dan has experience in GUSA and Markel has experience in an actually efficient and well-run program, namely Basketball.

What are your top three goals that you hope to achieve as the GUSA Executives?
1. Something useful that would be too long in coming. 2. Fixing the most aggravating and distracting part of a Georgetown student’s experience. 3. Making GUSA’s processes understandable to students outside of the Association Leadership.

What do you believe GUSA’s role should be in interacting with the administration?
Accountability on behalf of the administration.

How would you characterize President Meaney’s and Vice President Laverriere’s time in office? If elected what do you plan to do the same/differently?
1. Mike and Greg do a good job, but their projects are mostly idealistic, and don’t help day-to-day life at all. We plan to increase the quality of life for students here and reform administrations for long-term gain. Reforming facilities would help greatly in the long-term, as would increasing student access to Administration-GUSA proceedings.

Do you believe that student groups are people? [inspired by Mitt Romney]
1. They are comprised of people and led by people. This does not necessarily mean that a title or overarching similarity can be a person, use your brain “‘Helpful’ Summary”

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